


Not a couple

by akhikaru



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-22
Updated: 2015-09-22
Packaged: 2019-05-26 04:09:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14992436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akhikaru/pseuds/akhikaru
Summary: They were not lovers... yet.





	Not a couple

"You're insane!"

"Oh, shut up! You're the one who is acting like a fucking lunatic!"

"Lunatic? How you dare calling me that!"

"I'm just saying the truth, you bug-eyed lunatic!"

"Oh, that's it! I'm going to kill you!"

"Boy, I'd _love_ to see you try!"

"Just wait and see! I'll beat you up so hard not even that huge forehead of yours will remain in one piece!"

"You…! Don't bring my forehead into this!"

"You started!"

"No, you started!"

"Guys stop it now!"

The two quarreling young men went silent when a third voice interrupted them. They merely stared in confusion when its owner stood up red-faced, the vein in his neck almost bursting.

"Whoa, Aiba-chan, calm down!" The first one—Mr. Bug Eyed—said. "There's no need to get so worked up!"

"Yeah, relax, man!" The second one—Mr. Huge Forehead—patted Aiba's back. "We're just having a normal conversation here!"

" _Normal_ , you say? What part of this is normal!? You guys are crazy! I mean… you start yelling and yelling and yelling for no reason, and then you act like _I'm_ the one going crazy!" Aiba said without pausing to take a single breath. "I'm done with it! You guys can finish studying on your own, I'm going home!"

Aiba stood up and slammed the door on his way out of the apartment. Both young men jumped because of the loud noise. "He's so mad," they said in sync and burst out laughing as soon as they noticed they had done it _again._

"It's your fault, Sho-kun," said the 'bug-eyed' guy, bumping his shoulder into his friend's. "I had never seen Aiba-chan like that."

Sho snorted. "If someone is to blame for it, that'd be you, _Macchan_ ," he said and pinched the other's cheek.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, stop it! It hurts!" Macchan, whose real name was Matsumoto Jun, whined. "I said stop it!" he snapped at Sho and flicked his forehead.

"Scary!" Sho said in a mocking tone, ducking to avoid Jun's fist. "See? You're so violent, Macchan! That's why poor Aiba-kun was so scared!"

Jun narrowed his eyes and tackled Sho to the floor. He had the advantage, for he was taller than Sho and could trap him easily, but Sho was strong. Jun tickled him to keep him under control. It was a good strategy for a while—Sho couldn't even move because of so much laughing—although it backfired when Sho gripped Jun's wrists and flipped their positions. They ended up rolling all over the floor of Jun's living room between laughs until both of them were so tired that they just lied on the floor.

"Would you mind not falling asleep on top of me?" Jun clicked his tongue when Sho stayed in the same position after a while.

"Mmm, I've wanted to be on top of Macchan for a long time!" Sho replied between giggles.

"Idiot." Jun rolled his eyes at him.

"What? Don't you want me to be on top of you?" Sho wiggled his eyebrows.

"Eww, of course I don't!" Jun cringed. "And get off me, you're heavy!"

"But I want to be on top of Macchan some more!" Sho whined. "Being on top of Macchan feels so good!" he added, grinding his hips suggestively as he gave Jun what was supposed to be his best sultry look.

That's when Jun pushed him unceremoniously to the floor and threw a book on his head.

 

They were not lovers.

That's what they said whenever someone asked. Sure, they had known each other since middle school and were seen together more often than not; they also spent a great deal of time in each other's apartment, so much that they wondered if it wouldn't be easier to just move in together, but they were definitely _not_ a couple.

"Ugh, I can't believe you're actually popular!" Jun shook his head in disgust when he handed Sho his jean-print sweatpants. "These are so ugly! How can someone sleep with a guy who wears fake jeans?"

Sho smirked. "You're focusing on the wrong thing, Macchan. The ugly clothes are not what matter…" He wrapped his arms around Jun's waist from behind, close enough to rub his crotch against Jun's ass. "What counts is what's _inside_ them, don't you think?" he whispered in Jun's ear, earning an elbow in his stomach.

"You're so disgusting."

"Am I? Then why are you blushing, my dear Macchan? Is it that you actually like to have me close?" Sho batted his eyelashes innocently.

"Keep dreaming, Sakurai." Jun snorted. "I would never date someone like you! You're so full of yourself and rude and stupid and clumsy and a total player," he said. _And absolutely adorable,_ his mind added.

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't date you either!" Sho interrupted him. "I mean, who wants to be with a neat-freak, stuck-up nerd who never gets his nose out of his books and wears stupid thick-rimmed glasses," he continued. _And is perfect_ , his mind completed.

"Ah, I'm glad we think the same!"

"Hell yes!"

An awkward moment of silence followed, during which they just looked at their own feet. Of course. They had just heard the person they cared about the most listing all the flaws that they could detect in just a couple of seconds. They always tried to make it look like a joke, laughing along when there were people around to witness their mock-fights, but it did hurt at times.

Especially when it was just the two of them and they didn't know what to say to make things normal again.

"The nerve you got calling me a nerd," Jun mumbled. "Last time I checked it was _you_ who had the highest GPA in our faculty!"

"Followed by whom?" Sho said in a teasing tone.

"Shut up." Jun bumped his shoulder into Sho's. "It's getting late, put your clothes on," he said and turned to leave.

"Macchan, wait!" Sho sighed and hugged Jun from behind again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

"Eh?"

"I would totally date someone like you," Sho answered sincerely. "I mean, you're smart, caring, and even cute when you're not trying to kill me."

"Oh, you just want to get in my pants!" Jun giggled, his cheeks getting red once again.

"It's the truth! You're great Macchan!"

"Damn right I am," Jun said and turned around. Sho was smiling, blushing as much as Jun was at that moment. Sho pulled him closer, staring right into Jun's eyes as he leaned forward.

"But…" Jun put a finger on Sho's lips. "I did mean it when I said I wouldn't date someone like you."

"Hey! That's not fair!" Sho whined as Jun laughed evilly on his way out of the room. "Macchan!"

"Your breakfast will get cold!" Jun yelled from the kitchen. Sho could hear him laughing afterwards.

"Coming," Sho replied as he put on a clean t-shirt—he was pretty sure it was Jun's, but it wouldn't be the first or the last time he wore Jun's clothes.

He ran to the kitchen, tackled Jun to the floor and wrestled with him until Jun acknowledged he was the "most awesome guy on earth, even more awesome than Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and Harry Potter together… How the heck do you expect me to say it without feeling like a liar! Okay, okay, you are, Sho-kun! Geez, stop pinching me! It hurts!"

Their breakfast was cold by then though.

 

"Man, I envy you so much, Sakurai-kun! You fuck as many people as you want, then you go home and that hot Matsumoto Jun is all yours," one of Sho's classmates, Ikuta Toma, said as they had some beers in the club near their campus one Friday after class.

"Ugh, you don't know what you're saying! That guy is a nightmare!" Sho whined. "He nags me all day long, saying I leave my stuff all over his apartment and make it look like a dumpster. I don't ever complain when he starts organizing _my_ apartment, even after I've told him a thousand times that he's ruining my system!"

"What system, Sho-chan?" Aiba, who was also there that night, laughed. "You should be glad that Jun-chan takes the time to do that, even though he's not obliged to!"

"Yeah, you really don't know how lucky you are!" Ikuta nodded. "What I'd give to have Matsumoto Jun doing all those things for me…"

"Oh, come on! He's not all that! He's got his flaws too!"

"Like what?" both Ikuta and Aiba asked.

"Umm, well…" Sho pursed his lips. Now that he was thinking seriously, and not just making fun of Jun, he couldn't think of any real flaw. "He sucks his thumb when he's sleeping. He also puts the food he doesn't like in my plate when we go out together. And he laughs so hard when we're talking that the lecturers notice sometimes and I get scolded!"

"That's it? Those are his _flaws_?" Aiba arched an eyebrow.

"No, not only those… I'm sure I could make you a long, _long_ list if I had time for that," Sho lied, trying to keep a straight face.

Aiba and Ikuta rolled their eyes at Sho. "You really don't have any idea of how wonderful that man is," Ikuta said. "I hope you won't regret taking him for granted."

Sho only snorted and took another sip of his beer. "He's my best friend, Toma, _best friend_. We're not dating or anything."

"And why is that exactly? Don't give me the bullshit that he has flaws because you know he's damn perfect. I want the truth," Ikuta said.

"It's because he knows me too well," Sho sighed. "Perhaps he knows me better than I know myself, and that's too scary. I don't want to lose him, ever. The only reason he bears with me right now is that I'm his friend. If we were something else, he'd just get tired and dump me in a heartbeat."

"How do you know that?" Aiba asked.

"I just know." Sho looked down at his lap. "Now… who's up for some dancing?" he said with a smile on his face, a fake one of course.

They spent the rest of the night dancing and drinking. Sho hooked up with a couple, a young man and a girl who were practically begging him to join them for a threesome. He ended up in a cheap love hotel room, fucking both of them despite not even knowing their names. He felt so disgusted with himself afterwards that he threw up and fled the room. Drunk and disoriented, he hailed a cab and gave the driver the only address he could remember in such a state.

He staggered towards the door. He was so ashamed that he didn't ring the bell and just slid to the floor.

"You're a mess." Jun shook his head when he found Sho passed out in front of his apartment's door the next morning.

Sho had never felt more stupid in his life than when he woke up and found himself tucked under some blankets in Jun's bed, a glass of water and medicine on the table next to him, and the telltale smell of Jun's special 'hangover' soup coming from the kitchen.

 

The situation couldn't go on like that for long, Sho knew it. Sooner or later he'd screw up and Jun wouldn't want to have anything to do with him anymore.

But that it'd happen so soon? No, he never expected that.

It all started because of the new guy, Ninomiya Kazunari. Sho was automatically smitten with him, with his cute face and defiant attitude. His attraction only grew more when Ninomiya never paid him attention, even after using all the tricks in his repertoire.

And Sho _loved_ to be challenged.

"Ah, I think I'm in love, Macchan!" Sho sighed as he slumped on the couch. "Nino, he is… he's incredible! I can never guess what he thinks or what he's going to do next! And he's so smart and so talented! Have you heard him play the guitar? Also his singing! Oh, his singing, Macchan! I had never listened to a voice like his! It's so adorable, like an angel's…" he sighed again.

"Tremendous crush you have," Jun chuckled. "When will you ask him out?"

"Eh?"

"With the way you've been talking about him, I doubt you just want to fuck him one night."

"Hmm, I don't know…" Sho said. "What if he says no?"

"Then don't tell him. Keep it to yourself and watch him go out with other guys if that's what you want." Jun shrugged.

Sho groaned. He hated when Jun was right. "Fine, I'll ask him out. But if it doesn't work, you will be the one to blame! And you will have to deal with poor brokenhearted me…" Sho leaned his head on Jun's shoulder and pouted. "Do you really want that, eh?"

"Right, as if you could be brokenhearted." Jun shook his head. "I'll stay by your side, no matter what happens…" he said, running his fingers through Sho's hair.

It'd be a long time before they shared such an intimate moment again.

The next day, Sho asked Nino out. "Took you long enough," was Nino's reply, accompanied by a wink that made Sho's heart flutter with joy.

From that day on, the sole focus of Sho's attention was Nino. He couldn't get enough of him, of his sarcasm-filled words, his love for video games and magic tricks, the unexpected kindness and sensibility hiding behind all of that. Getting to know Nino was an adventure he wanted to live every single day of his life. It was so addictive that he didn't have time for anyone else.

Not even Jun.

"I'm sorry Jun, I totally forgot!" Sho bowed at Jun, who had shown up at his door right at the moment he was leaving.

"We've been planning this for months, Sho-kun. You can't cancel on me just like this!" Jun said with a smile. It was so forced that some years later Sho still couldn't understand how he hadn't notice. "It's probably the only chance I'll get to attend such a great jazz concert! And you promised you'd go with me!"

"Yes, I know, but… Nino and I are going to have dinner. It's our third month together, so…" Sho scratched his nape nervously. "Maybe I can just move it to another day, let me call him."

"Ah, no, don't worry. I understand it. I'll just go by myself."

"No, Jun, I can't let you—"

"Yes, you can," Jun said. "I should probably get going now, so… have fun tonight!" He flashed Sho another smile and left.

And that was the last time Matsumoto Jun went to Sho's apartment in a long time.

 

Jun was happy for Sho, he truly was. Sho had never been in a serious relationship, so of course Jun was thrilled that Sho had found someone who could make him stop being the player he used to be. Sho's eyes had never seemed brighter than when he looked at Nino. Yes, Jun ought to feel happy for him.

Then why did it hurt so much?

He had never minded seeing Sho with someone else. No, because he was certain that Sho would always come back to him when he got bored, that no one would snatch Sho away from him. He used to be so confident in that. He had even told Sho to go ahead and ask Nino out, thinking that either he wouldn't go for it or that Nino would say no. When Sho gave Jun the good news, that Nino had accepted, he was truly shocked. But even then, Jun had believed it wouldn't last, that Sho would break up with Nino once he got what he wanted and everything would go back to normal.

Wrong.

Instead, Sho had become the most committed guy ever. How a guy who had never given a thought to the idea of having a permanent relationship could pull off planning dates, calling at least once a day and being caring, even romantic at times, Jun couldn't understand. It was like the Sho he used to know had been changed into another person.

"You know what they say, Jun-chan. True love can make miracles," Aiba told Jun.

True love, really? Jun refused to believe that was it. However, the more Sho got closer to his boyfriend, the more Jun feared Aiba was right.

Sho was in love, and it wasn't with him. It was a hard blow to Jun's heart and his pride.

During the first month, Sho still visited Jun once or twice a week. They talked during classes, and sometimes they had lunch together. Everything was still fine, according to Jun's standards. With the second month, their occasions to see each other diminished. Sho wouldn't call Jun at all unless Jun called him first. And by the time Sho and Nino had been together for three months, Jun and Sho only saw each other during class. They didn't even talk, for Sho was completely focused on other things—like Nino, sitting on his other side.

When Sho canceled on him at last minute the night of the concert, Jun decided it was time to let go. What good did it do to him to keep waiting for Sho to turn and look at him someday? His feelings, the ones he had desperately tried to conceal before, were killing him from the inside slowly but surely. He needed a way out of there before he lost his mind.

A flyer that his English Literature professor passed in class gave him the perfect idea.

"Studying in England!? Are you…!?"

"Keep it down, Aiba-chan!" Jun hissed. "Yes, I'm thinking about applying for this scholarship. It's a great chance! And my GPA gives me an advantage compared to most applicants, so why not?"

"But Jun… What about your family?"

"Already told them. Mom and my sister are pretty excited about it. I think they'll make me send them a ton of stuff while I'm living there!" Jun laughed.

"What about Sho?"

Jun startled. "What about him?"

"Have you told him?"

"No."

"What!? But Jun, Sho is your best friend! How can you not tell him about something like this?"

"I don't think he'd mind." Jun shrugged. "We barely talk these days anyway. He's too busy with his boyfriend to care about me."

"Jun…"

"And I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell him either," Jun continued, staring right into Aiba's eyes. "My decision is not open to discussion with him or anybody, you understand it?"

"Yes…" Aiba sighed.

The results were announced two months later. Jun, along with other three people from the university, had been granted a scholarship in Oxford. They would be leaving the following month, to wait while they got everything ready. During that time Jun didn't make any effort to approach Sho at all. He didn't call, he didn't visit, he didn't even join Sho's study sessions before exams like he used to do. The distance between them had grown to the point they acted like they didn't even know each other. Jun thought he'd probably leave Japan and Sho wouldn't notice.

The night before he left was what changed everything.

 

"Are you sure you don't want to come?"

_"I'm sure, Aiba-chan."_

"You're leaving tomorrow, don't you want to say goodbye to everyone?"

_"Nah, it's better like this. I suck at goodbyes, and I need to wake up early tomorrow."_

"Whatever you say." Aiba massaged his temple and hung up. He went back to his table, where Sho, Ikuta, and Nino waited for him. "Hello guys!" he greeted everyone with a smile, trying to not look too stressed.

"Hey! Long time no see, Aiba-kun!" Sho said. "How have you been?"

"Same as always…"

"Hmm, I see." Sho nodded. "And… where's Jun? Toma told me he'd be coming with you," he said with a hopeful smile.

"He can't make it tonight. He's been kind of busy."

"Always working hard, huh," Sho said with a weak chuckle. "I feel I haven't seen him since forever… How is he doing?"

"Fine, I guess. He doesn't talk to me that much either, you know." Aiba sipped his drink with a straw. He felt bad lying about it to Sho.

Sho's shoulders dropped way lower than usual after that. He didn't look happy anymore, the smile that was on his face when Aiba arrived disappeared. "I hope he'll have some free time soon, I still owe him for standing him up the last time…" he mumbled. "You… you think he's mad at me for that? He doesn't call, he stopped coming to my place and… h-he doesn't reply to my calls either. I'm worried!"

Nino patted Sho's back as he continued speaking. "Sho-chan, I've told you that you should go to see him."

"I've been to his place many times, but he's never there!" Sho protested. "I think he's avoiding me on purpose."

"What are you saying, Sho-chan?" Nino sighed. "He's your best friend! Why would he avoid you?"

"Boy, I can think of plenty of reasons why he'd do that," Ikuta muttered. Aiba kicked his shin to silence him.

"What do you mean? Has Jun told you anything?" Sho frowned.

"He doesn't have to," Ikuta continued, despite Aiba's warning glare on him. "I told you to not take him for granted, didn't I? Well, now he's going in a different direction, and it doesn't include you. I think it was about time. I'm glad for him. Bet things will be better where he's going."

"W-What are you saying? Where is Jun going?" Sho's voice wavered. "Aiba-chan, what does he mean? He's lying, isn't he? J-Jun isn't going anywhere, right? Say something, for God's sake!"

"Sho, I… I don't know how to tell you this…" Aiba took a deep breath. "Jun is leaving tomorrow. He's been granted a scholarship to study in Oxford. If things go well, he might even stay there to get his Master's degree afterwards."

"N-No… you're lying, that's a lie! You both are liars, liars!" Sho yelled. "Jun wouldn't leave without telling me! He wouldn't… he wouldn't hide something like this…"

"Sho-chan, look at me." Aiba held Sho by his shoulders. "He's leaving tomorrow, it's the truth!" He sighed when Sho shook his head frantically, still in denial.

"I don't believe you!" Sho stood up and slammed his palms on the table. "You're just lying to me, I know it!"

"Sho-chan, sit down…"

"I won't sit down, Nino!" Sho snapped at him. "I need to talk to Jun," he said and stormed off the club, leaving the other three behind.

 

Jun was almost asleep when the sound of someone banging on his door woke him up. "Ugh…" he groaned and rolled on his bed, trying to cover his ears with a pillow. The noise continued, louder than it was at first. "Damn, who can it be at this hour?" he moaned and dragged his feet to the front door, careful to not stumble on the boxes piled up in his living room. His dad would stop by the next day to store everything in their garage.

"I'm coming, stop doing that, damn it!" he yelled and opened the door. His eyes widened when he found Sho standing there. "S-Sho-kun…"

Jun barely had time to react before Sho pushed him aside and made his way in. He saw almost in slow motion when his friend dropped to his knees and started screaming. It was obvious that someone had told him about his plans. "Sho-kun, I can explain."

Sho scowled at him. "Explain what!? That you're leaving me? That you didn't even have the guts to tell me and I had to find out through someone else?"

"I didn't want you to find out until I left!"

"Right… because that would have been so much easier for me, how thoughtful of you, thanks!" Sho said sarcastically.

"It's not like that! I didn't think you'd mind!"

"Are you fucking serious? Did you really believe I wouldn't mind that my best friend is going to the other side of the world?" Sho sounded really hurt.

Jun clenched his fists. "Oh, so now I'm your best friend? How about the times you were too busy to see me? Was I your best friend at that moment too? Or the times I called but you didn't pick up because you were with your dear Nino? Was I your best friend then, when you didn't spare a minute to talk to me? When you stood me up?" Jun turned to his side and took a deep breath. He didn't want to get too emotional over that. "You've made it very clear during these months that I don't mean anything to you unless you have nothing better to do!"

"That's not true, Jun! It's not like that!"

"Then why did you do this? Why did you exclude me from your life, Sho?" Jun asked. "Do you have any idea of how much that hurt me?"

"I… Jun, I… I didn't think… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Macchan!" Sho cried. "If I could… If I could change it…"

"Stop it," Jun said. "What is done is done. I'm leaving tomorrow, Sho. That's my decision, just like yours was to push me aside."

Sho nodded with his head hanging low. The tears were streaming freely down his cheeks. He walked slowly towards Jun's apartment's door without saying another word. And despite the anger he was feeling in that moment, Jun couldn't take seeing him like that.

"Wait." 

Sho stopped on his steps but didn't face Jun. "Sho-kun, come here." Jun pulled him by his arm. Sho still wouldn't look at him. Jun cupped Sho's face with both hands and wiped his tears. "This is not how I wanted to say goodbye to you."

Sho continued crying in silence, circling his arms around Jun's waist to pull him closer. He buried his face in Jun's chest to continue sobbing. "I've always been so afraid of losing you, and in the end I did. I'm such an idiot," he finally said, followed by a bitter chuckle that sounded more like a whimper.

Jun bit his lip for a moment. Somehow those words made him smile. "Hey, hey…" Jun said in Sho's ear. "Who said you're losing me? I might be mad at you for being the biggest jerk on planet earth, but you'll have to do more than that to get rid of me."

Sho looked up at him. "You promise?"

"Of course." Jun nodded. He laughed when Sho gave him a silly grin and nuzzled his jaw. "Sho-kun, stop it…" he said between laughs.

"I can't!" Sho shook his head. "I don't know when I'll be able to have my Macchan like this again. You'll have to put up with me until your flight departs."

"Hmm, sounds nice…" Jun giggled. Sho was tickling him. "Sho-kun, wait… W-What are you doing?" Jun panicked when he felt Sho's lips on his neck.

He was silenced by Sho's lips closing on his. Their first kiss… Jun closed his eyes and let him take the lead, smiling when Sho sneaked his tongue through his parted lips to deepen the kiss. When Sho pulled back, with his eyes still closed, there was no trace of sadness in his expression.

"Your lips are as sweet as I imagined," Sho said and kissed him again, this time shorter. "What's wrong, Macchan?"

"Sho-kun, you have a boyfriend," Jun reminded him.

"Haven't you heard about it? Nino broke up with me a month ago," Sho informed him. "He's dating some dude from Arts faculty, Ohno something… They're so disgusting when they're together, groping each other's butts and stuff, ugh!"

"Nino dumped you? Ah, man, and here I thought someone would finally put an end to your days of being promiscuous! How could you let someone like Nino go? He's perfect!"

"I admit he's amazing, but there was something really wrong with him."

"What was it?"

"He wasn't you."

Jun arched an eyebrow. "You're definitely trying to get in my pants this time."

"That I am, you're right!" Sho laughed. "But I'm a patient man. I'm willing to wait as much as you want me to."

"What if I make you wait until I come back from England?" Jun said tentatively.

"I'll do it," Sho said. Jun narrowed his eyes at him. "I won't even look at other guys or girls while you're gone, I swear."

"Sho-kun, I don't think it'd be fair for either of us to do something like that. I'll be gone for years. It would be selfish to make you wait during all that time."

"What then?"

"You're free, Sho-kun. If you want to date someone, go ahead and do it."

"But…"

"But if you still want to be with me when I come back, I'll be more than happy to accept you," Jun finished.

Sho grinned and pulled him close again. "I like that idea."

 

In spite of staying up that night talking while they cuddled in Jun's bed, it wasn't any less difficult to say goodbye.

Sho had insisted in accompanying him to the airport. And since wherever Sho went, Nino followed—and wherever Nino was, his new boyfriend would also go—the group sending Jun off had three additional people that morning.

Jun's parents were happy to see Sho there. They had been worried when Jun stopped mentioning Sho's name in their conversations. Seeing them arrive at the airport in the middle of another quarrel—because Jun dared to say English guys were more handsome than Japanese guys—made them feel relieved. Jun's sister asked if they were finally dating, to which Jun replied "maybe" with a wide grin.

Aiba, who had promised to be there, was a bit nervous when he approached Jun. He thought Jun would be mad at him for spilling the beans and was met instead with a hug. He was so relieved that he almost cried.

As for Nino, he seemed glad to see Jun and Sho had reconciled. "See, I broke up with him because I was jealous of how much he thinks about you," he confessed. "Did you know he always finds a way to bring you into a casual conversation? And he doesn't even notice! It's cute, seriously, but I doubt he'll be able to date anyone else!"

Jun was baffled at gaining that knowledge. So he was always on Sho's mind? He felt like he was on the top of the world when Nino said it.

"Good luck in England." Nino stretched out a hand towards him.

Jun shook the offered hand, still smiling. "Thank you. And, Ninomiya-kun… could you keep an eye on him while I'm gone? I don't want him to be lonely."

"You don't even need to ask! I'll make sure he behaves." Nino flashed a smile at him.

Jun reserved the rest of the time to talk with Sho. His favorite moment of the day had to be to see Sho's face going crimson red after he mentioned what Nino told him. "That's not true! Don't believe anything that little devil says!" Sho insisted in denying it until Jun said he found it adorable.

But the time for him to leave arrived soon.

"I shouldn't let you go." Sho trapped Jun between his arms in front of the gates.

"It's not like I'm leaving you forever!" Jun laughed.

"What if you change your mind about us while you're away?"

"I should be the one worrying about that! Out of the two of us, you're the one who can't concentrate in just one person at the same time after all," Jun teased. He kissed Sho when he pouted in response.

"I wish I had treated you the way you deserved." Sho sighed, cupping Jun's cheek. "You wouldn't be leaving if I had."

"That might be true, but perhaps this is for the best," Jun said. "Now that you've learned your lesson, I'm sure you'll do it properly the next time."

"I won't disappoint you."

 

_Years later…_

"Aren't we too early?"

"Not at all, Aiba-chan. We're barely on time! Jun's flight already landed! Oh God, what if we're late? What if he's already gone?"

"Sho-chan, could you stop pacing in front of me? You're making me dizzy!"

"Nino, let him be, he's nervous."

"He's exaggerating, Oh-chan!"

"But they haven't seen each other in two years since Sho-chan and Jun went to Paris together. I'd be nervous too if I were him!"

"Aiba-san, you get nervous because of anything."

"Shut up, Nino!"

The three of them went silent when Sho let out a weird shriek. He turned towards them with a wide smile, trembling and looking like he was going to cry at the same time. Then he pointed at a stylish man who had just come out, wearing dark shades and carrying a suitcase. It was Jun, without a doubt. They confirmed it when he took off his shades and ran towards Sho with a wide smile.

Ten years. That was the time Sho had to wait for Jun to finally come back to Japan permanently. They had agreed to be just friends until then, even if neither of them felt the need to date anybody else during those years of separation. Their relationship hadn't changed much; they behaved as they always had since they met, teasing each other mercilessly and driving everyone crazy when they started arguing during their video calls.

They had become mature enough to speak up when the teasing had gone too far (although there were times they still sulked), and they also learned to balance it with positive comments every once in a while. Not enough for it to get sappy though, it made them feel weird.

It was the ideal moment for them to take a step forward in their relationship.

A couple of minutes passed and neither of them had moved. They just stared at each other with the silliest grins on their faces. Nino stood up and pushed them towards each other. "Just hug already!" he grumbled. Both men laughed at his annoyed expression and did as he suggested.

"Macchan…" Sho inhaled deeply as he nosed Jun's neck, making him giggle. "You changed your hairstyle," Sho pointed at Jun's undercut, a very radical change from the last time they had talked on Skype just two days earlier.

"Ah yes, thought it was about time," Jun said. "This hairstyle is pretty popular in Europe right now. Don't you like it?"

Sho ran his fingertips over the sides of Jun's head, making him shiver a little. "It looks good on you," he said.

Jun bit his lip and took Sho's hand. "So… are you taking me home now or not?"

Sho squeezed his hand. "Yes."

 

Aiba had insisted they should go to eat something, and that usually meant drinking until wee hours of the morning. They could only go home after sending a pissed drunk Aiba home in a cab, accompanied by an equally drunk Ohno and a very annoyed Nino. 

Jun was so sleepy when they arrived home that he could barely stand on his own feet. Sho ended up half-carrying him to the apartment once they exited the elevator.

"Wait, there's only one room?" Jun asked when they entered the apartment. He managed to walk inside the room by himself, his eyes fixed on that king-sized bed in front of him.

"Umm, yeah…" Sho blushed. "Why, don't you…? Oh crap, did I misunderstand it? I thought that when you said you wanted us to live together you meant, you know, _together_? I'm so sorry! I'll just sleep on the couch if you don't want to or—"

Sho gasped when his back touched the mattress. Jun had pushed him to bed as they kissed. Sho grinned until he felt Jun snoring. He laughed and shook him a bit. "Would you mind not falling asleep on top of me?" he said.

Jun lifted his head and raised an eyebrow at him. "Mmm, I've wanted to be on top of Sho-kun for a long time," he replied with a mischievous grin.

"Idiot!" Sho laughed.

"What? Don't you want me to be on top of you?" Jun wiggled his eyebrows.

"Eww, of course I don't!" Sho said in a supposed-to-be disgusted tone. "And get off me, you're heavy!"

"But I want to be on top of Sho-kun some more!" Jun pouted. "Being on top of Sho-kun feels so good!" he added, trying to grind his hips. He burst out laughing. "Sorry, I'm too sleepy for this!"

Sho clicked his tongue. "Not fair, Jun! You were supposed to hump me now!"

"Sho-kun, I'm tired!" Jun whined. "Can't we hump each other tomorrow?"

"Fine… but you should change your clothes."

"Help me?" Jun lifted his arms and batted his eyelashes prettily.

"I think I will be tempted to do more than just helping you change your clothes if you make me undress you," Sho said. Jun stretched his arms more, wiggling his eyebrows. Sho's hands trembled as he unbuttoned Jun's shirt. "Wow… Look at this," he sighed while caressing Jun's torso. "You've been working out."

"I have…" Jun nodded.

"Oh! I hadn't noticed this before!" Sho touched a spot near Jun's nipple. "You've got a mole there."

"I've got moles everywhere. My face, my neck, my chest…" Jun slurred. "I thought you had seen them all already. We've seen each other naked lots of times."

"Yeah, but I didn't get to watch this closely before." Sho continued tapping Jun's skin. "This mole is so sexy."

"It's the first time someone says that!" Jun laughed. Sho continued staring at his mole, obviously wanting to do something else. "Go on."

"Eh?"

"Whatever it is you want to do with it, go on."

Sho grinned and leaned. He kissed Jun's mole over and over again. "I want to kiss that little guy over there too," he said and kissed a mole in Jun's neck. Finally, he looked at Jun's lips.

"Got three moles waiting to be kissed here, could you hurry up?" Jun whined.

Sho laughed and caught his lips in a messy kiss. When they parted, Jun was falling asleep again. "Macchan…" Sho sighed and continued undressing him until he was just in his underwear. Then he stood up and discarded his clothes as well. Jun pulled him under the covers and snuggled against him.

"Good night."

Sho kissed Jun's forehead. "Good night."


End file.
